Festival Of Schools Attracts Thousands

February 19, 1997|By JOE VIDUEIRA Special to the Sun-Sentinel

Organizers of the South Broward Innovation Zone Festival of Success were stunned by the community's response to the first-ever event. More than 2,000 parents and children from nine Broward schools turned out.

The goal was to celebrate academic and extracurricular achievements in the region's schools.

``It's a night to show off what goes on in our zone,'' said Cathy Woistman, a teacher at Olsen Middle School in Dania, the site of the festival earlier this month.

Added Margot O'Kane from Sheridan Vocational Technical School in Hollywood: ``It gives people in the neighborhood an idea of what they can expect from the schools their children will be attending.''

Even local politicians showed up. Hollywood City Commissioner Eleanor Sobel called the festival ``very exciting.''

``It's bringing parents out and getting them involved in their kids' education. That can only make the schools better,'' Sobel said.

The nine participating schools are in the ``feeder pattern'' that leads to South Broward High School and Sheridan Vo-Tech's vocational programs. The so-called ``innovation zone'' also includes Oakridge Elementary, Dania Elementary, Hollywood Hills Elementary, Hollywood Central Elementary, Sheridan Elementary, Collins Elementary and Olsen Middle.

Each school sent samples of their students' best work, set up displays and organized different parts of the event, said Flynn. There were science and history projects, artistic works, a ``career van'' filled with computers that helped teachers from Sheridan Vo-Tech perform vocational assessment tests, and tables set up by organizations such as the South Broward Family Counseling & Health Clinic and South Area Psychological Services.

Bands from Olsen and South Broward High School, and musical groups from Dania, Oakridge, Hollywood Hills, Sheridan, Hollywood Central and South Broward performed in the school's courtyard and in the Viking Cafeteria, which was lined with students' art work.

Judy Aronoff and Mel Aronoff, whose son Jeremy, 10, attends the 5th grade at Hollywood Central, were on hand ``to find out a little more about Olsen Middle,'' according to Mel. They also came to see Jeremy's 7-year-old sister, Arielle, play the violin.

Another musician, Sarah Bevis, 13, was here to ``get a better feeling for what high school would be like,'' according to her mother, Rebecca. Sarah also played the trumpet during Olsen's band concert.